Shelby and Baldwin County Alabama Tax lien Sales fiasco
The new process adopted by Shelby and Baldwin Counties, et al for tax lien sales in 2019 is a nightmare for owners, investors, the community, and the county. But the attorneys will prosper.
Owner's redemption time is cut by three years and there is no more physical notice requirement. Now a property owner can literally first find out their taxes are delinquent when they are being sued for the property.
Large Investors will stay away in droves because their incentive to invest in the county has been taken away by reducing interest rates and ending overbids. Small investors can no longer move in or rent so they will not buy liens.
The Community will suffer the most because the new law forbids buyers from moving in, renovating, securing, or even fixing a roof leak on these houses. End result: Vagrants, dilapidated houses, Meth labs, and more people struggling with housing.
The county will suffer when property values drop due to abandoned unmaintained houses in the middle of nice neighborhoods and the reduction in investor interest.
The greatest effect of this law will be that now, anyone that buys a tax property will have to hire an attorney. It just isn't possible for a person to judicially foreclose, eject, and quiet a title on the property without an attorney. Yay attorneys.
Gregory S. Stanley, Esq.